23 Oct 2026
How to Recognize God's Guidance: Discerning the Holy Spirit | Part 3
Episode 68 | Joy In Every Step with Elder Sarita Bernadette
Have you ever felt a quiet nudge in your spirit and wondered, “Is God trying to tell me something?”
Sometimes God's guidance doesn't come through a dramatic moment. It may be a persistent thought, a gentle conviction, or a quiet prompting that encourages us to pause, pray, and pay attention. But how can we recognize the Holy Spirit's leading and know when it's time to act?
In Part 3 of God's Guidance, Elder Sarita Bernadette continues exploring what she calls the divine or holy nudge.
Through Scripture, she shares practical questions we can ask to discern whether what we're sensing truly aligns with God's character, His Word, and His will for our lives.
Because not every feeling is a direction from God, learning to recognize His guidance requires prayer, spiritual discernment, and a willingness to listen.
Featured Scripture — Isaiah 30:21 (VOICE)
Your ears will hear sweet words behind you: “Go this way. There is your path; this is how you should go” whenever you must decide whether to turn to the right or the left.
Key Takeaway
God's guidance will never contradict His character or His Word.
God doesn't leave us to navigate life's decisions without direction. Through His Word, prayer, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, He helps us recognize the path we should take.
But recognizing His guidance requires discernment. When you sense a holy nudge, take time to pray, examine what you're hearing against Scripture, and seek wise counsel.
As Elder Sarita reminds us, recognizing the Holy Spirit's guidance takes practice. Quiet the noise, spend time in God's Word, and trust Him to direct your steps.
In This Episode
Recognizing the Holy Spirit's guidance: Understanding how a holy nudge may appear as an inner conviction, persistent thought, or quiet prompting.
Testing what we sense against God's character: Asking whether a prompting reflects His love, mercy, justice, truth, holiness, light, and faithfulness.
Turning to Scripture for direction: Why God's Word must remain our foundation when discerning His will.
Examining our motives: Does the prompting glorify God, or does it bring attention to ourselves?
Finding peace through prayer: Understanding the peace of God that surpasses human understanding.
Seeking confirmation and wise counsel: Recognizing that God can guide our steps through Scripture, prayer, and the wisdom of others.
Scripture References
Romans 8:14 — Led by the Spirit of God
1 John 4:8 — God is love
Lamentations 3:22–23 — God's mercies are new every morning
Deuteronomy 32:4 — God's ways are just
Psalm 33:4 — The truth and faithfulness of God's Word
John 16:13 — The Spirit of truth
1 Samuel 2:2 — The holiness of God
John 8:12; John 1:5 — God is light
Psalm 36:5 — God's steadfast love and faithfulness
Psalm 119:160 — The truth of God's Word
1 Corinthians 10:31 — Doing everything for God's glory
Matthew 5:16 — Letting our light shine
Hebrews 4:12 — The living and active Word of God
Philippians 4:6–7 — Prayer and God's peace
Psalm 37:23–24 — The Lord directs our steps
Proverbs 11:14 — The importance of wise counsel
Isaiah 30:21 — Hearing God's direction
A Moment for Reflection
Is there something you've been sensing in your spirit lately?
Before deciding what to do next, ask yourself: Does this align with God's Word? Does it reflect His character? Does it bring Him glory?
Sometimes the next step begins with simply making room to listen.
Stay Connected
Thank you for spending time with us at Joy In Every Step, where we believe God's Word offers wisdom, encouragement, and direction for everyday life.
If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who may be seeking God's guidance, and follow the podcast so you never miss an episode.
New episodes every Friday.
Website: https://www.joyineverystep.org (https://www.joyineverystep.org/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoyInEveryStepPodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@JoyInEveryStepPodcast)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577893053121 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577893053121)
Instagram: @joyineverystep.org1
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joyineverystep.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/joyineverystep.bsky.social)
Support the Ministry: https://www.patreon.com/c/JoyInEveryStep (https://www.patreon.com/c/JoyInEveryStep)
Joy In Every Step — with Elder Sarita Bernadette
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ (https://www.patreon.com/JoyInEveryStep)
